Basic Rules of Pedestrian Safety (Primary, Elementary) Grouping Individual Pair Small Group Whole Class Purpose To provide students with the basic knowledge and skill practice necessary to be safe pedestrians Learning Objectives By the end of these activities, students will be able to: 1. Define basic rules of being a safe pedestrian. 2. Identify and demonstrate the steps necessary to cross the road safely. Time Required Activity Summary Time (m) 1. Daily Tally/ Introduction to see how students travel to school 5 Introduction 2. Vocabulary Define words used when discussing travel safety 10 3. I See You, Understanding safety clues and need for eye contact for increased safety 10 You See Me 4. Traffic Signs Define and recognition of traffic signs 5 5. Practice Safe scenarios to practice in gym/ class/ school yard 15-30 Materials/ Preparation Item Activity Amount Daily Tally 1 1 Class Poster (Appendix B) Groundsheet of roadway 2+5 1 (Appendix A1 and A2) Overhead and/or print of roadway 2 1 or class set (Appendix A3/ A4) I See You, You See Me overhead and/or print 3 1 or class set (Appendix C) Pedestrian Safety Poem 3 1 Overhead (Appendix D) Traffic Control Signs 4+5 1 Overhead + props (Appendix E)
Advance Preparation Place groundsheet in open area (in the gym or in the classroom with desks cleared). Students sit along one side of ground sheet. If you do not have the groundsheet, use masking or duct tape to tape off an area that looks like the example in Appendix A1 or A2. Vocabulary Words bike lane - the marked lane on the road for use by bicycles that separates bicycles from other vehicles crosswalk - any part of an intersection, marked or unmarked, that is for pedestrians crossing a street or road (every intersection is a crosswalk) driver - someone who controls the actions of the vehicle driveway - a private road from the street to a building, house or garage intersection - a place where two or more streets join together (cross each other) pedestrian - someone who walks/moves (including people in wheelchairs) roadway - the part of a road used by vehicles shoulder - the portion of a highway, paved or unpaved, touching the roadway, for use by pedestrians, stopped vehicles and emergency use sidewalk - a walk (usually paved) for pedestrians at the side of a street street corner - a place where two streets come together, usually the location of a crosswalk safe pedestrian - someone who knows and applies the rules of the road to be safe traffic sign - a visual sign for controlling traffi c so people are safe vehicles - modes of transportation for persons or property that use roadway (including cars, buses, trucks, trains, bicycles, skateboards, scooters) Activities 1. Tally and Introduction An initial introductory activity for all five lessons could be a daily tally of who walked, biked, scootered, skated, rode a bus, rode in a car to school. See Appendix B for a sample tally form. An alternative counting method might include hanging pictures or words of each of the travel modes on the wall or from the ceiling. At the start of each class students go to the travel mode used that day. Teacher or student records the number.
Explain to students that Neighborhood Navigators includes lessons about learning and practicing how to cross the street safely, identifying road signs and determining safe routes to walk around the school and neighborhood. Have all students push back their chairs, but stay seated. Explain that you are going to say a sentence and when they agree with that sentence, they stand up and yell, That s Me! Sentences: I am safe when I am playing outside. I walk or ride my bicycle, skateboard or scooter to school. I understand that walking or riding a bicycle, skateboard or scooter is good for my body. I know what a pedestrian is. I know some rules of the road. I know what some traffic signs mean. Thank students for participating and explain that those sentences introduce some of the topics we will be covering in the lesson. 2. Vocabulary Hand out student worksheets, the example of a roadway. Have students put their name, date and grade on the top. As you explain the vocabulary words, have students label the diagram together as a class. You may make an enlargement or an overhead of the intersection example (Appendix A3 or A4) to lead the discussion. Explain to students that a roadway includes crosswalks, intersections, sidewalks, corners, and driveways. Reinforce each of these roadway components for visual and/or kinesthetic learners by pointing to them on the overhead and/or standing in the appropriate place on the groundsheet. Write the word pedestrian on the board. Define pedestrian as someone who walks (including people in wheelchairs). Add the word safe in front of pedestrian on the board. Define safe pedestrian. Ask students: Do you want to be a safe pedestrian? Describe a safe pedestrian as someone who walks and moves responsibly, who chooses safe routes, and crosses the street safely. Tell students that in order to be safe pedestrians they need to learn the basic rules of pedestrian safety. Ask students, What is a vehicle? Define vehicle. Explain that vehicles can be cars, buses, trains, bicycles, and even scooters!
Define driver. Discuss the role of the driver in relation to the vehicle. Younger children often see vehicles as animated objects capable of acting independently, and having a discussion about the driver operating the vehicle helps break down that fantasy. 3. I See You, You See Me Tell students that when walking near vehicles, it is important to make sure that the drivers can see them and they can see the drivers. Display the overhead, I See You, You See Me (Appendix C), and/or have this as a worksheet. Explain to students that when pedestrians are walking they may need to cross the street at some time. It is important to remember these rules when crossing the street: 1. Always stop at the corner or edge of a sidewalk or street. 2. Look all ways with your eyes and listen with your ears. 3. Make sure the vehicle has stopped and the driver knows you are crossing before stepping into the street. Point out that the child in the picture can see the drivers in the vehicles around him. Ask students how the child knows that the driver sees and understands that the child wants to cross. Work with the students to create a list of clues drivers may give to signal that they see the child wanting to cross the street. Possible clues could be verbal (i.e., calling out the window to go ahead and cross) or non-verbal (e.g., motioning with the hand, nodding the head, smiling and nodding), or a combination. You may wish to demonstrate the clues as you create the list. Have the students practice by pairing up with a neighbor. One is the driver, one is the walker. Have the driver practice giving the walker the verbal cue (i.e., I see you. Go ahead and cross. ). Point out that both the driver and the walker must be watching and listening to each other in order for this to work. Have the students switch roles. The driver gives a non-verbal cue (i.e., motioning with the hand to cross or nodding the head) to the walker. Point out that both the driver and the walker must be watching and listening to each other in order for this to work. Have students sit back down. Ask, Why is making contact with the driver important when you are crossing the street? Explain that just because a driver is looking your way, you can t be certain the driver will let you cross. Be sure to explain to students that this is a difficult concept. Many adults have problems with this scenario and this form of two-way communication. Share, It is important to listen with your ears because sometimes you cannot see the vehicle. You must take out the ear-buds or earphones and stop talking on the phone to listen well. Read the Pedestrian Safety Poem (Appendix D) to students and have them repeat it.
Stop every time at the edge of the street, Use your head before your feet. Make sure you hear every sound, Look left, look right, look all around! 4. Traffic Signs Tell students that we have traffic signs and signals to make sure that people are safe on the road. Introduce WALK and DON T WALK signs, Appendix E, by either drawing them on the board. Ask students what each sign means, then practice. Ask students to stand up. Point to the WALK sign. Students demonstrate what to do when they see this sign by walking carefully around the room. Tell students that when you point to the DON T WALK sign, they need to stop. Do this a few times. Have students sit down. 5. Practice Using the groundsheet set up in the classroom or gym, demonstrate safe crossing procedures. Use the following scenarios: Practice crossing the road with and without crosswalk. Cross the road with and without cars. Cross with WALK/DON T WALK signs. Select a group of two or three students to practice and demonstrate for each scenario. Other students remain seated and comment on what they observed. If time allows, include other possible scenarios: Driveways Stray balls going into the street Being in a hurry and not being safe, and A friend calling you from across the street Extra Activity: Play Red Light, Green Light outside as an activity that reinforces stopping at the red signal and going at the green signal.
Evaluation Suggestions Criteria Yes No Did students correctly demonstrate walking and not walking with the correct traffic signs? Did students use good judgement by safely and responsibly crossing the road? Grade Level Learning Targets Kindergarten: Always look all ways before crossing street Define and identify crosswalk, sidewalk as safe places to walk. Grade 1: Above plus define and identify driver, pedestrian, safe pedestrian, traffic signs, road and cars. Grade 2: Above plus define and identify bike lane, driveway, intersection, shoulder, and street corner. Know Traffic Safety Poem and demonstrate safe crossing steps in groups and alone. Grade 3: Above plus can describe how to be a safe pedestrian to peers. Can safely lead younger person on walk including simple crossing procedures.